Soaring Leaves
by zaulster
Summary: Final Battles between Konoha, the Akatsuki, Orochimaru, Sasuke, and more. Includes a bit of romance I hope, and Konoha, now being powered by a machine, is flying around the world as the shinobi prepare to stop all evil.
1. Chapter 1: Snakes

**Soaring Leaves**

Chapter 1

Snakes

_Two days before the setting of the story – around the time Shikamaru's team was defeated by Zetsu (in the last story)_

The room was dim, for a single candle lit it at the dark hour. A figure swept out of the corner to his master's front, kneeling down and saying, "My lord, it is time. You must give up Kabuto-san now. There are a number of new bodies waiting, including my own."

"I'll kill you, Yoroi, if you dare speak once again!" a snake-like voice hissed back. "I do not need pathetic bodies of your sort. It is time I returned to my original self! Sasuke is still out there, meaning I'll have to have true power in order to catch him."

From the shadows Orochimaru brought his pale face out into Yoroi Akado's. "It is time we took out Konoha once and for all. Assemble the rest of the units, but only the strongest. An army of my warriors should do the job."

Yoroi nodded and stepped away, leaving Lord Orochimaru to himself. "Sasuke, don't you fret. I'm coming for you," he chuckled, licking his lips.

//-\\

\\-//

"Sasuke!" a voice shouted. The survivor of the Uchiha Clan stood at the edge of the cliff, his sword neatly tucked into its sheath. "Sasuke, can you hear me?!?"

Karin stood at the bottom of the rockwall, consistently calling out to her leader. "What is it?" Sasuke replied rottenly. "This better be good news. I'm starting to get impatient."

Karin opened her mouth to say something, but then quickly stopped herself, shaking her head and saying, "Never mind," at the same time.

Down a kilometer away, Suigetsu climbed out of the stream and lay upon the soil beside it. Jugo came out of the woods, tossing his comrade's clothing to him. "Any news so far?"

"Fortunately, I found a nearby village. Supposedly Itachi and Kisame have passed through here recently, along with a mysterious figure following them," Suigetsu responded with a grin.

"How long ago?" Sasuke suddenly asked, appearing beside Jugo. Suigetsu told him. "Three days heading east. That ends up north of the Land of Fire. Don't tell me they're after Naruto again."

The team set out quickly. Meanwhile, far enough to avoid Karin's sense of smell, another squad made their way through the unexpected terrain. Unknowing to them, a team of sand shinobi were following their every move.

//-\\

\\-//

_Returning to the current setting – two days later_

The Akatsuki, narrowed down to four, split back into their original two-man cells. Kisame and Itachi raced south, aiming to arrive at Konoha sooner or later. Kisame lagged behind, leaving Itachi with concern. "Something wrong?"

"Madara Uchiha, he said. Was he simply comparing himself? Itachi, what do you know of this."

Itachi then suddenly stopped and shut his eyes. "We're being followed, Kisame."

Kisame's eyes widened and he turned around, only to see nothing. "What do you mean? Nothings in sight… Samehada would've detected the presence of…"

"I nearly forgot… damn," Itachi cursed. "Sasuke and his group are still after us." Kisame's face formed into a smile.

"Ah, so Suigetsu and his friends still want to fight. Sasuke… can you take care of him?"

Itachi faced the direction in which they were being followed. "Their kunoichi is the one guiding them towards us. Once they get closer, they'll know exactly where we are. Meaning we have a single option left."

The two formed handsigns and flickered away.

**­------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**All of your favorite/anticipated final battles into one story. This is where imaginations are let free :D, so I hope you enjoy this story. Make sure you review.**


	2. Chapter 2: Unsettled Business

Soaring Leaves

**Soaring Leaves**

Chapter 2

Unsettled Business

_Before I start, thank you to all readers who have read and reviewed! And __**many**__ apologies for stopping this story, I'll get it going again. I'm going to try to pick up the pace of the stories from now on, which means ALL of them. That's a hopefully though, because I may find trouble in doing so. Enjoy, don't forget to review!_

Itachi and Kisame were headed the opposite direction – straight towards Snake. Karin grinned and yelled out, "They're turning this way. What idiots… I would've expected them to have noticed us by now."

Sasuke lifted his right hand and pointed past Suigetsu and Jugo. "It would be better if we ambushed them. However, I warn you, lay a finger upon Itachi and you'll be as bloody and broken as he is when I'm through with you all."

Upon Sasuke's orders, Suigetsu and Karin split off from the group, heading west in hopes of catching the two of the Akatsuki.

And again, miles behind, four sand shinobi dashed through the fields.

/-\\

\\-/

Meanwhile, Konoha had already crossed halfway the distance between its original location and the Whirlpool Village. Tsunade roared a command, and several shinobi soared off the sides of the flying city and used whatever jutsu they had to land safely on the ground. Among them were Lee, Shino, and Hinata.

Up above, Hiashi Hyuuga directed the mobile base with his Byakugan, watching out for anything in the sky or below.

Miles ahead, Ino crawled towards Naruto and aided Sakura in healing his wounds, both internal and external. "Sakura-chan, you came…"

"Ino, leave it to me! You're nowhere in good condition!" Sakura cried. Once their argument settled, they both proceeded to assist Naruto. Kakashi turned to see dark clouds forming in the distance.

"If I'm not mistaken, Naruto defeated the leader of Akatsuki," he whispered, stunning everyone around. "And it seems he absorbed his powers – I noticed Naruto now possesses the Rinnengan eyes!"

Before any commotion could occur, Kakashi continued. "That means only five members of Akatsuki remain – Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, Konan, Zetsu, and the mysterious Tobi."

_Clang!_ Konan blocked another of Tenten's weapons yet finally fell to her knees. "Damn you shinobi. Nothing that occurred should continue. I… I…" she hissed.

Suddenly she exploded into her demon form and lunged for Tenten. Izumo and Raido blocked her but were torn straight through and left suffering on the ground. "Death is all that you deserve!" Konan screamed.

A flurry of bugs surrounded her and pinned her down to the ground. Shino dived into the scene and proceeded with his torture. Unfortunately, Konan broke free quickly and let out flaming clumps of blood. Hinata dashed in and, with her Byakugan, she flashed past them and struck Konan directly on her head.

A quick defeat for such a threat. Gentle Fist's power is enough to do so. With that, Konan collapsed, hoping to be reunited with her love Pein.

/-\\

\\-/

Out of nowhere, Itachi was confronted by a massive fireball jutsu. Kisame jumped in the way and batted it back with _Samehada_. "Well Itachi, here's the moment of your life."

Water enveloped around Kisame all of a sudden, and Suigetsu appeared binding him. Jugo jumped out from the forest and shot his fist forward, laying a big blow.

Itachi stepped back and focused for a moment. When Karin dived in from the side, he quickly caught her in his Mangekyo torture. Fortunately, she had the strength to push forward, and managed to dig a kunai into his shoulder before she fell into the true effects of the jutsu. "Die, Uchiha!" she screamed.

A blast of lightning shot through and struck Karin, breaking her free from the illusion yet frying her in the process. She landed weakly on the barren ground, shook her head for a moment, and then pushed herself up. Itachi stood where he had been, looking past her for some reason.

_Flunk!_ She noticed the bird-flock sound too late. Sasuke dug his Chidori straight through her heart and kicked her back on the floor. Blood gashed out of her body and she screamed in pain. "Sasuke-kun!" she sobbed.

He glared at her with his vicious eyes. "I told you, Itachi… he's _my_ opponent! You went for him, you laid a finger upon him. There's only one thing left – death for you!"

Itachi stared at his insane brother with quite some fear. "So this is what Orochimaru turned you into, Sasuke?" he muttered. "Destroying your own comrades." Then he began to chuckle. "You've finally shown me the path you followed – that of my own!"


	3. Chapter 3: Karin and Shinobi

Soaring Leaves

**Soaring Leaves**

Chapter 3

Karin and New Shinobi

She struggled to catch her breath. The power of Chidori was too much for a shinobi like her. "Damn…" she cursed. "Sasuke!"

He ignored her moaning and turned to Itachi. "Now's the time I took you out for real." In a flash the two Uchiha brothers shot at each other. Sasuke drew his katana in time to strike Itachi, but to his shock, Itachi passed straight through him.

Immediately after bypassing his brother, Itachi spun around and released his fireball jutsu.

Karin remained where she was and continued to curse. "Sa… su… ke! Stop fighting! You're wasting time! Please!"

Sasuke dived to the ground to dodge this time and dug his hands into the soil. Itachi stared in confusion. "What are you up to?"

"_Chidori Current_!" he roared. Electricity sparked and spread through the ground, trickling to Itachi's location.

He jumped, and that was the clear mistake. Sasuke's clones fired in from all sides and caught Itachi. The real one kicked off from his location and began to absorb lightning from all over the region. "No!" Karin screamed. "Sasuke!!"

He was inches from Itachi when she cried, "That's not the real Itachi!!"

_CRACK! BOOM!_ Sasuke released his fully charged lightning jutsu, nearly a hundred times more powerful than Chidori, at Itachi. There was a flash of sparks, causing everyone in the scene to shield their eyes.

The result – a strange body in Sasuke's hands with blood oozing out. "What the !" he hissed, tossing the doppelganger down. "Itachi, are you ing with me? Is this some sort of genjutsu you made up? Or maybe your Mangekyo!?"

"Sasuke!!" Karin screamed, finally grabbing his attention. She pointed to Kisame, who was now in a similar state. "I told you! It's all a…" Before she could finish, she coughed up blood.

He flickered to her side and grabbed her by the neck. "What?! Tell me now or I'll ing kill you!"

"That's enough, Sasuke Uchiha," a cold voice mumbled. Sasuke released his grip from Karin and turned to the rustling bushes. Suigetsu and Jugo both braced themselves.

_Fah_! A stream of sand rushed out and reached for Sasuke. He leapt backwards only to be faced with hundreds of whip-like sand streams. "_Aqua Sprinkle_!" Suigetsu shouted. He let out a similar jutsu from his palms, except these were water. Unfortunately, dark figures whooshed by in every direction.

Jugo grasped one of the figures that assaulted Suigetsu and crunched it in his palm. A blast of wind give him a surprise, and all members of Snake looked ahead to see the sand shinobi in front of them. Sasuke groaned as memories came back. "Temari the Wind Waker. Kankuro the Dark Puppeteer. And Gaara of the Desert. All three of you had the nerve to follow me while I'm in this mood?"

Gaara ignored him and attacked once more.

The surprise appeared when Sasuke began to fade. "Suigetsu, Karin, Jugo. Let this be my farewell to you all. Deal with these flies while I head for the true target. I already sensed his location."

Suigetsu and Jugo gasped when their leader continued becoming a blur. "Sasuke-kun!" Karin screamed. "You… you can't leave us here! Itachi and Kisame are too strong for you to handle alone!"

Her wails reached nowhere. Sasuke had left his former comrades.

**All four remaining Akatsuki Members head for the same destination – the Land of Whirlpools!**

**Next Time – Return of the Reaper**


	4. Chapter 4: Return of the Reaper

Soaring Leaves

**Soaring Leaves**

Chapter 4

Return of the Reaper

Two cloaked silhouettes could be spotted trailing into the Land of Whirlpools. The region no longer knew the definition of day or night. It had plunged into an eternal twilight!

"We've lost nearly everyone in this organization, save for Itachi and Kisame. Konoha, on the other hand, still has many threats, such as Kakashi Hatake. He is your target. Lure him away from those who are there. I want to settle an old score with him once and for all."

Zetsu nodded before dropping into the ground, leaving Madara alone. He paced back and forth in a stationary location. "To go up against all of Konoha. That would require much more power. No longer can I keep the body of Obito, nor the identity of Tobi. I seek a stronger body. Itachi or Sasuke? We're soon to find our answer to that. My new body must be the invincible body – one that possesses the Eternal Mangekyo!"

A swirl of chakra enveloped his body, and Madara teleported to his destination. "Even with the power," he thought aloud. "I would need more. Two to assist me. And finally, the power of the kyuubi!!"

/-\\

\\-/

A loud gasp filled the scene. Naruto came back to consciousness after a few coughs, bringing relief among everyone in the scene. Ino and Sakura wiped their sweat and sighed. "Naruto-kun!" Sakura whispered, a tear trickling down her cheek.

Kakashi too felt much better, especially when he saw Shushon with a much-better Kushina. "Thing's have improved."

Suddenly, he felt a strange presence. His senses were tingling, forcing him to spin to the left. "Sharingan!" With the activated kekkei-genkai, he could easily notice the being staring directly at him from nearly a mile away. "Yamato," Kakashi muttered. He whispered a few commands to Yamato and then flickered away.

Zetsu cursed and moved back. "I didn't expect to fire right at me so quick! Damn, he could be anywhere!"  
It was a true surprise when Hinata and Shino appeared at both sides. "Wha…!" Shiro cried. He managed to sink into the ground before a swarm finished him off.

"Hinata, he's escaped!" Shino groaned. Kakashi breezed straight past them, startling and informing them that the battles were nowhere near over.

Zetsu finally stopped moving upon reaching the local highlands. Positioning himself at the edge of a gorge, he watched Kakashi appear in the horizon. "Madara, I'll get myself killed going up against him."

The real Kakashi struck from behind and bound him in a mix of water and earth elements. "Too fast!" Zetsu cried. Kakashi formed Chidori in his hand and thrust it. "You've lived too long, Zetsu."

Smoke filled the area and Zetsu was yanked away from Kakashi's grip. He suddenly felt the whole world swirling and rumbling, and when the smoke cleared, Kakashi found himself standing upon a plateau, while Zetsu had elevated himself onto a higher ledge carved into the rockwall. But he ignored his former target – what caught his attention was a familiar face. "So this is Tobi unmasked. I knew you survived, Obito."

Madara licked his lips and stared down at Kakashi. "Interesting, you remember the comrade that you betrayed."

Kakashi's eyes widened. He remained fixed, trying not to lose his cool. "Obito, I… please… I didn't betray you. I was confused, not in the right path then! I've changed since then!"

"You speak to the strongest shinobi as if we are good buddies. Realize, Kakashi Hatake, I'm not Obito." He nearly objected, but Madara cut him off. "If the truth is what you seek, I'll briefly explain.

"Obito hadn't died after the rockfall. He was very much alive. The war of course continued, and my minions went into the land to take some prisoners of war. Among them was Zetsu, who stumbled upon Obito. He found a particular interest in the child's body and brought him to me.

"Years had passed, and my original body was no good. Especially after I summoned the Nine Tailed Fox to do its job at Konoha, but that was a pure failure. It took far too much chakra, far too much of my power. Too old, too weak I became. So I simply entered Obito's body, and I've been there ever since. But time is passing again. Even after repairing the damaged body, it's not the strongest. I seek a truly powerful body!"

Kakashi felt weak. Obito taken and used, and killed. Yet his main question hadn't been answered. "Strongest shinobi. And you switch bodies. Summoned the Nine Tailed Fox. That could only be done by an Uchiha – the Mangekyo Sharingan. Which narrows it down to a select few. Not Itachi, not me." Kakashi's voice started to shake a lot. "Y… you… can't be…"

Madara grinned and nodded. "Kakashi Hatake, I welcome you to the gates of death. I am none other than Lord Madara Uchiha, founder of Konohagakure and the Uchiha Clan, possessor of the Eternal Mangekyo! But above all this, I am still incomplete. Once I attain the body of the strongest Uchiha, I will emerge as the true victor! Even with the strength I currently possess, I could destroy a village in the matter of seconds. I wouldn't though – the aftermath would be painful for me. That's why I'll scrap this body. In a few hours, my future will be set. It all goes down to the outcome of a fight between two brothers."

Kakashi's eyes widened even more. "Two brothers? What are you talking about?"

Right then, Itachi appeared behind Madara. "Very well Itachi. Sasuke is on his way. Make battle preparations – you _don't_ want to lose this one. A chance for the Eternal Mangekyo lies directly ahead! Seize it!"

Itachi's face looked very different. Gloom had taken over. He too felt weak, but he had been commanded by Madara. "Yes, Lord Uchiha," he whispered. Kakashi jumped into the air and released a fireball jutsu, but Madara got in the way and inhaled the whole blast. Dark chakra swirled around Itachi and completely enveloped him, taking him to a new destination.

"Is this it? My final opponent, Madara Uchiha. I have to put an end to him before Itachi and Sasuke finish their fight. Madara only wants to get the body of the stronger Uchiha. Obito, you are alive still. I'll put an end to Madara if I have to die for it!"

Kakashi and Madara engaged in combat!

/-\\

\\-/

Itachi stepped upon the new plateau. It was a strange region – a barren top with a large whirlpool swirling in the center. Short grass and shrubs grew every few feet, but all was ignored save for the two beings who stood on the opposite ends.

Sasuke wielded his sword, his Sharingan spinning with rage. "So you came this time, with maybe another used body?"

Itachi, still holding his weak look, slowly shook his head. It was the final moment. The two Uchiha brothers gave a quick nod before firing straight at each other.

The fate of the world was balancing upon this very fight!


	5. Chapter 5: Brother vs Brother

Soaring Leaves

**Soaring Leaves**

Chapter 5

Brother vs Brother

A number of jutsu flew across their battlefield. Sasuke and Itachi both gave it their all, knowing there was no turning back at this point. "Fire Style: Flare Missile!" Sasuke roared.

Itachi swiftly dodged in the air and formed two shadow clones. Both charged at Sasuke from both sides while the real Itachi made a long handsign. "Triangle Formation!" Itachi hissed. The two shadow clones pinned themselves to their location. The three of them now had made a triangle within which a mystic purple haze spread out.

"What's this?" Sasuke mumbled. "I don't have time for your artistic designs and all. Fire Style: Fire Bomb!!" A ball of fire came up into the air, sat for a moment, and then finally plummeted down to collide with the three Itachis. "Burn in hell!!" Sasuke yelled.

Unfortunately for him, the purple haze completely absorbed his fire jutsu, negating its future explosive effects. Sasuke cursed and watched as chakra flowed in and out of Itachi's body. "I thought you would do that. Being so reckless, you didn't know that my jutsu absorbs your own chakra and replenishes my own with it!" Itachi chuckled.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt a stinging grip around his throat. The haze had moved around him, and now he felt as though he were dying. "This is no illusion, Sasuke. But it's time I put the Mangekyo to use!" Sasuke screamed when Itachi activated the menacing power of his Sharingan. He found himself chained to a wall while thorny vines wrapped up around his body. They squeezed in and out, sending him into great pain with every injection. Itachi, who looked like a negative ghost, watched him suffer.

_Poof!_ The elder Uchiha had not expected what came next. Sasuke's shadow clone disappeared while the real one came from behind with a demon wing shuriken. Itachi reacted in time and incinerated everything around him. "Fire Style Rage!!"

Sasuke soon found himself lying on the ground, his clothes burned through by the insane flames. Itachi stood ten feet away, watching him carefully. All of a sudden, Itachi coughed up blood and began gasping for his breath. The former frown appeared on his face again, even when Sasuke got up and charged once more. "Tryin' to trick me?!"

Itachi flickered back another ten feet, and Sasuke finally stopped. "What's going on? What the hell is wrong with you? Don't tell me you're.. gonna run away again!!"

"No Sasuke," Itachi whispered. "No. Running away, that's not what I have to do. This battle was meant to occur. You journeyed far to arrive here.."

"My ass!" Sasuke screamed. "Don't start on one of those talks. I'll destroy you right here!!"

All of a sudden, as if the odds completely went against Sasuke, the plateau began to rumble. Itachi stepped in front of the whirlpool. "Sasuke, forgive me. Heh, it seems like I'm going to have to fight a different way."

The whirlpool stopped spinning, making it a small pond. Itachi looked down at his reflection, and ahead at his younger brother. "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!"

Sasuke cursed when a massive stone structure fired out of the water and towered above him. Large red eyes glared down. His elder brother knelt upon the creature's head. "It's time I took you out for real, little Sasuke."


	6. Chapter 6: Death of Zetsu

**Soaring Leaves**

Chapter 6

Death of Zetsu

The massive stone summon slammed its arm towards Sasuke. The younger Uchiha brother dodged in time.

Sasuke fired into the air, high up and directly in front of the creature's head. "Red eyes.. what happens when you get hit there? Fire Style: Flare Shot!" Sasuke spit a number of burning arrows from his mouth, and they stuck into the creature's eyes. Though at first no impact was apparent, the flames soon began to spread across the face.

"What are you up to, Sasuke..?" Itachi murmured. Itachi should have expected the blast; unfortunately for him, he did not. The entire head of the stone monster exploded. Large chunks of stone flew everywhere, and Itachi managed to ride one down to the ground.

Sasuke landed directly in front of him, and the two brothers charged at each other to land a blow. Sasuke attacked first only to have his body walk right through Itachi. "It's all an illusion to you, Sasuke.." Itachi's voice rung.

Suddenly, the stone demon rose once more despite not having a head. "What sort of summon is this!?" Sasuke roared, though multiple forms of the giant monster appeared around him. "Quit toying with me!!"

_Flunk!_ Sasuke took the hit from behind. Itachi had jammed a long blade right through his back and poked it straight out through his belly. "No.. way..." Sasuke moaned before collapsing.

"It was all an illusion.. and you fell right into my trap. Let this mark the end of our match, my brother," Itachi chuckled.

/-\\

\\-/

Kakashi looked in despair at his possessed comrade and the freaky half-man half-fly trap. "Two of Akatsuki's strongest members.. and I'm alone here?"

Madara spread his arms out wide and released darkness up into the sky. Thunder boomed and lightning crashed from the dark storm he had created. "Do you see, Kakashi Hatake? This is just a small measure of my true power! This is the same power that will crush you, just as you had crushed your old comrade!!"

Kakashi cringed for a moment - "Obito!! Don't... don't just let him..."

"Let me do what??" Madara hissed. "Are you that blind? If I recall you were the one who took my Sharingan eye for your own!"  
"My lord.." Zetsu suddenly cut in, aggravating Madara. "Why not... just kill him? We're wasting too much time, the longer we wait the more hungry I get!"

Madara's head began to bulge, and power rushed into his body. "Zetsu... you fool. If you're that hungry.. THEN GO GET HIM YOURSELF!" Madara kicked Zetsu forward and off the ledge. This Akatsuki member flew down the rockwall and straight to where Kakashi was. Tumbling in a freefall, Zetsu was left vulnerable to any of Kakashi's moves.

_Chink!_ Kakashi thrust his Chidori straight through Zetsu's body and scored a perfect hit. There was no more resisting, no more survival. Zetsu felt true blood leaking from a large wound. He dropped weakly beneath Kakashi and could not even struggle to live.

"That's it, huh?" Madara mumbled. "That's all you were Zetsu. You useless fiend, go die as you deserve."

Kakashi stared in disbelief. "You're leaving your own comrade, the one who was closest and most loyal to you in Akatsuki.. you're leaving him to just rot and die??"

Madara grinned and pointed his arm right past Kakashi at Zetsu. A force swished through the air and hit Zetsu hard, creating an implosion and leaving Zetsu motionless. Kakashi did not believe his eyes. Zetsu was finally.. no more.

**Boo, sorry no updates in a while haha, I've been very occupied with lots of things. I'll try to at least finish this story before I go into an endless hibernation.**

**Enjoy and review!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Dark Shark

Soaring Leaves

**Soaring Leaves**

Chapter 7

The Dark Shark

The shark darted for its next prey. Wielding a sword in its mouth, it zipped through the water straight towards the innocent Hyuuga child standing by the lake...

Just before Kisame could get Hinata completely into his jaw, he felt stinging all over his skin. Bugs..?, he thought while trying to shudder them off. A number of small critters crawled together to form into Shino Aburame. "Hinata, beware. He's with Akatsuki," Shino whispered.

Hinata shuddered as Kisame began to grow larger than he was. "What.. is he?" Just as she was activating her Byakugan, Shino dived at her to push her out of the way from an advancing water clone.

"Shino!" she cried. Kisame's clone dug the water sword straight through Shino's body, but the chuunin broke down into hundreds of bugs once more. Swarms flew in from all sides, attacking both Kisames at once.  
"Damn pests!" Kisame roared while forming a handsign. "Water Style: Death Flood!".. Nothing seemed to occur, and Kisame felt the bugs slicing into his skin. "Just give me.. some time.."  
Hinata activated her Byakugan in time and clearly saw that neither of the Kisames were the real one. "Shino.. he's hiding somewhere!"  
The ground beneath them suddenly exploded as a geyser shot up. Shino dodged in time, but Hinata suffered soaring up in the air. "Shino... Shino-san!!" she cried once more. Shino acted quickly and allowed his bugs to spiral up the geyser to. At the same time, Hinata caught onto the geyser's spinning motion and found herself rotating rapidly in the air. This is perfect, she thought, for a good attack.. I just need a good shot at him.  
"Hinata-sama! Find out where the real one is!" Shino commanded, only to be nailed by a water clones Samehada. Using her Byakugan, Hinata scanned past the swarms of bugs flying up, through Kisame's multiple clones now gliding up the stream of water, and finally to the base of the geyser itself.  
"Found him!" she yelled in time, and the swarms began to drop down to surround the base of the geyser. Shino managed to get up and control them before being washed down again. The bugs managed to create a field of chakra around the real Kisame and began draining the chakra from him. Within a few seconds, the geyser came crashing back down. Hinata kept her balance and controlled her fall.  
Without any source left, the water clones began to evaporate one by one. Kisame stood up alone facing Shino and millions of insects floating around his body. "So they eat away my chakra, huh? Well, no bug can stop the shark from eating his meal!" Kisame lunged straight for Shino, his mouth wide open and ready to chomp the bug-boy up. Shino took a step back as death began to swallow him up..  
_Hyaa!_ Hinata landed in time, slamming her Gentle Fist into the top of Kisame's head and burying the Akatsuki member in the ground. "Argh.." Kisame choked in defeat. Shino managed to smirk and complimented his partner for her success.  
Then came their hell. Kisame soaked right into the ground and gave both Hinata and Shino a shock. "It's not over fools!!" his voice roared from above. Hinata blocked a direct blow from Samehada with her Gentle Fist, but the force of Kisame's attack threw her back to the ground. Shino resisted Kisame's charge but too suffered Hinata's fate.  
Hinata realized too late what Kisame had in store for them. She screamed at the sight of a huge tidal wave crashing down from the plateaus. Shino knew they could do nothing for what came next.  
Together, the two shinobi were swept away by the unstoppable current. Kisame emerged from the water with some relief that his opponents were gone. "I'll get them later.. why not just take a swim till Itachi and Sasuke are finished up?"'

/-\\  
\\-/

Rock Lee lay tangled in the vines. He hadn't expected to have landed in the opposite end of the Land of Whirlpools. Lee inched his way out of the forest and finally to a tall tree hanging directly off the plateau. He could see below about two hundred feet down that a lot of water was pushing its way through the dried up canyons.  
What shocked Lee the most was the sight of two familiar faces being swept along with the current. "Shino-kun! Hinata-sama!!"

The two chuunin could do nothing against the force of Kisame's flood. So much water had drowned many of Shino's bugs and Hinata herself. She was barely hanging onto her life as Shino tried to bring the two of them to safety.  
They washed up on a barren shore and pulled themselves away from the water. "Shino.." Hinata whimpered. "When.. will all of this end..?"  
Shino himself did not know, for he too had lost much of the hope he had once had for Konoha. The two teammates lay down to dry off and regain their energy.


	8. Chapter 8: Dark Chakra Grows

**Soaring Leaves  
Chapter 8  
The Dark Chakra Grows**

Sakura could not believe her eyes. "What.. is happening?" she cried. As droplets of darkness poured from the sky, they gradually began to materialize into shadow demons. The first to come down instantly lunged at a civilian, sinking its dark fangs and killing the innocent shinobi.

Fortunately, Yamato rode in with numerous wood clones and blasted straight through the new enemies. "Sakura-chan, Madara Uchiha has made this country into a war zone.. we'll have to keep fighting till every enemy is down!"

Ino struggled to stand up, but two hands grabbed her from the ground. She felt the claws of darkness gripping into her soles tightly and dragging her down. Letting out a cry of pain, Ino flailed against the opposing force. Sakura reacted in time and slammed her foot on the earth. The entire field ripped in half and sent a fissure straight towards her friend. Chouji reached with his extended arm to rescue Ino.

From the sky, Madara's third eye watched the pain inflicted upon the Leaf shinobi. Kakashi at the same time kicked off the ground. He was enraged that Madara had tossed his partner away. "Obito, break out of his spell!! Don't let him!"

Madara made the same hand motion as before. Within a second, Kakashi was thrown all the way back into the ground by some invisible force. "Your wind jutsu.. how do you execute it so quickly.. and with such force?"

"Ahaha, wind jutsu?? I thought you noticed very well back when I attacked you and the rest of your Konoha gang! It is no wind jutsu, it is a combination of space and time elements. Not even Shodai Hokage, or your Flash could execute something so well!"

Kakashi moaned as he got up. "My Sharingan can't even keep up with it.." he mumbled.

"You mean _my_ Sharingan! From what I recall, that was my eye that you robbed me of!" Madara roared.

"It wasn't yours.." Kakashi hissed. "It was Obito Uchiha's. And last time I recall, you're not Obito. You're someone more twisted than even Orochimaru." The Copycat ninja felt the blast coming towards him and dodged to the right just before Madara's space-time impact destroyed him. Kakashi made a handsign and released a stream of fire though to no avail as the unstoppable force wiped it out.

"I never expected to have to bring this technique out.." Kakashi whispered to himself.

The grin on Madara's face slowly wore away. "What is this..?" he asked.

"MANGEKYO!" Kakashi roared, and the dimensions in their battlefield began to morph violently. Madara knew what was coming, but he himself was worried about avoiding Kakashi's power.

Madara took a step back, but he found his foot tied to the rock ledge by a stream of electricity. Kakashi lashed forward with a fully charged Chidori and stabbed Madara through the heart. Madara turned pale and coughed out a lot of blood. The Sharingan on Kakashi's eye twirled rapidly, and Madara suddenly felt his body being pulled apart. Kakashi brought in the Chidori once more, but Madara's body exploded upon contact. "What the..!" Kakashi shouted as his own dark genjutsu turned against him. The impact of Madara's explosion burned the entire left side of his body.

The real Madara apparated out of the zone of Kakashi's Mangekyo. He watched Kakashi grab his head in excruciating pain. "Kakashi, what an idiot. You think you could use the Mangekyo Sharingan against the _founder_ of the Uchiha clan? I'll show you he meaning of power!"

The ground around Kakashi began to crack and rise up into the air. Kakashi, his Mangekyo still activated, tried to break out of the genjutsu Madara placed on him. He located his target and, using what chakra and strength he had left, unleashed Chidoraketsu.

Electricity surged through Madara. He did not expect Kakashi to perform such a level of jutsu. Madara noticed the electricity drawing him towards his opponent, so he repelled Kakashi with space-time impacts. Each force nailed Kakashi in a vital chakra point. He could not handle the amount of energy he gave off and received back. "I've gotta... finish this off..!!"

Madara pulled himself out of Kakashi's range once more, but Kakashi released all of his chakra at once. Suddenly, the space around Madara's arms and left leg morphed. The Uchiha made a desperate attempt to escape - Kakashi's ultimate jutsu ripped off both his arms and a leg. Then, Kakashi lunged forward and dug his arms through Madara's chest. "_Ten Thousand Volt Chidoraketsu!!!!_"

Madara responded in time with his own Eternal Mangekyo. Kakashi's internal organs all crunched at once, and he fell from the rocky ledge into the abyss beneath him. At the same time, a single spark exploded into a massive static shock that engulfed former Obito Uchiha. Madara screamed in pain and agony as his soul ripped away from Obito Uchiha's body.

Kakashi's eyes were barely open as he fell. He whispered to himself, "Goodbye Obito.. at last you can rest peacefully. Naruto, it's up to you now."


	9. Chapter 9: What Will You Do, Sasuke?

**Soaring Leaves  
Chapter 9  
What Will You Do, Sasuke?  
**

"Young Sasuke, let me tell you a story," said Itachi. Sasuke was heavily wounded, so he lay on the ground helpless. "There was once a man named Madara Uchiha. His Uchiha Clan was in constant battle with the rival Senju Clan. In order to defeat Senju, Madara's brother sacrificed himself and offered his eyes to Madara, giving him the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Then, the two clans came to a truce and made an alliance. Madara and Hashirama, the leader of the Senju Clan, they founded the village we know today as Konohagakure.

"Unfortunately, a dispute came over who would become Hokage. An assassination scheme was thrown up that nearly killed Hashirama, but Konoha thwarted the plot. Hashirama's brother, the future Second Hokage, discovered Madara as the culprit. The Uchiha Clan put in a hot spot, every villager shunned Madara... to the point of his exile from Konoha."

Sasuke took a look at Itachi's face. Gloom.. despair.. suffering.. every feeling of self-degradation was upon the elder Uchiha. Sasuke did not know why, but he figured Itachi would get to the point. He allowed his brother to continue.

"Madara, enraged about his clan's treachery, retreated to the dark corners of a distant land. There, he planned his next move.. he drew out Senju Hokage Hashirama to battle. This clash was so great that it carved out the Valley of End. Madara was defeated, thought to be killed, and his face was wiped out of existence.."

"He plotted his revenge once more and prepared a powerful summon. Madara was prepared to crush Konoha by showing just a figment of his true power. Unfortunately, he used up all of his chakra reserves, and he had aged far too much. His body couldn't handle anymore.. even the Eternal Mangekyo was fading upon him. To continue his plans, he founded a secret organization known as Akatsuki. Madara retreated into the darkness once more and allowed a boy named Nagato to rise up and take charge of Akatsuki.

"Realizing the child's powers and ambitions, Madara used Nagato to assemble an alliance of the strongest S-Ranked criminals. As Nagato planned out the purpose of this organization, Madara made his move. He summoned the ultimate Kyuubi, the Nine-Tailed Fox, to destroy Konohagakure. Unfortunately, the Fourth Hokage was able to anticipate and stop the attack in time. He sealed the Kyuubi into a young child... his very own son, Naruto Uzumaki."

Sasuke seemed a bit thrown off. "Naruto.. his son?? Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage?"

"Yes. The secret was kept among the elders, and times became tough once more as the village tried to recover from the catastrophe. Madara had used up all of his power at this point. His original body was failing him.. he needed to find an alternate body. A great ninja war took place around that time. Madara turned to Akatsuki, but each member was busy with their own affairs. All save for one, a plant-human named Zetsu who was waiting to return to the Land of Rock. Madara sent Zetsu to recover the body of a fallen Uchiha, for only an Uchiha could withstand and carry his powers.

"In fact, your sensei, Kakashi Hatake, parted with his comrade, Obito Uchiha. Just before Obito perished, Zetsu recovered his body and presented it to his lord, Madara. Unfortunately, this body was heavily damaged, so it required a lot of patching up in the process. Madara finally replaced several limbs with amputations and entered Obito's body."

"What does any of this have to do with where we are now?" Sasuke asked.

"Relax, young Sasuke. Madara Uchiha is alive at this moment."

"Madara Uchiha, the founder of the Uchiha Clan, who lived almost a century back, is alive? What other crap are you trying to tell me?"

"Do you see the dark storm above us? It is all his cause. In fact, he is inches away from conquering this world. What will you do, Sasuke, when you come under his rule?"

Sasuke looked at the horizon and did notice the dark clouds spreading. A purple haze shrouded everything and blocked off the sun. "What will I do? I'll make sure he's the next person I wipe out."

"Oh, but am I not here? Time is running out Sasuke. You'll have to get through me if you wish to pass and stand a chance against Madara Uchiha."

"Well, I don't know why you're wasting valuable time, but I'm glad you did," Sasuke chuckled. Suddenly, he was off the ground and in the air again. Sparks radiated from his hand, and a massive Chidori formed there. "In the time you spent talking, I was able to regain my chakra. I don't know what was the point of that story you told me, but I don't really care for the ending."

Itachi smiled weakly and responded, "Very well, Sasuke. That means I will have to give it my all from here on out." Itachi's eye reddened and a new Sharingan awoke. "Mangekyo Sharingan!"

Sasuke let his chidori loose; however, right before the impact, he pressured the lightning in his hand to where it burst into powerful sparks. Itachi took the hit directly and nearly crumbled when he shouted, "AMATERASU!"

Black flames engulfed Sasuke and his entire jutsu.


	10. Chapter 10: Power of the Mangekyo

**Soaring Leaves  
Chapter 10  
Power of the Mangekyo Sharingan**

Sasuke screamed because Amaterasu burned. He screamed because of the pain inflicted all over him. He screamed because of the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Itachi did not stop there. As soon as he activated his Mangekyo, he trapped Sasuke within a terrifying genjutsu. "Tsukuyomi!" The world turned black and white around him. Sasuke was chained to a large grave. Itachi stood as a black and white sketch in front of him, wielding a katana. "Well Sasuke, where is your power now? The first blade is the first strike!"

Itachi stabbed Sasuke and he screamed even louder. Tears poured from his eyes, and he looked up to see a crescent moon in the air. He felt like it was twilight. Suddenly, everything faded out. What felt like hours passed before several more Itachis appeared, each wielding a katana. "You will experience this pain, Sasuke, for an eternity while you are trapped in Mangekyo Hell. What will you do now, Sasuke, what will you do?"

He was stabbed again, only this time by three katanas instead of one. He screamed and screamed in Itachi's torture, but nothing could free him. Then, ten Itachis.. twenty.. hundreds.. it never stopped. Sasuke could not take the pain anymore. There were countless Itachi's in front of him. He wasn't dying, but he wasn't living either. He was trapped in the middle, doomed to suffer forever. At last, Itachi released Sasuke from his genjutsu and gasped for his breath. I overdid it there, he thought. Used too much of my Sharingan. Suddenly, Itachi coughed up a lot of blood. He covered his mouth and kneeled down to try regaining his breath and avoid choking on his blood.

Sasuke lay sprawled on the ground across the plateau. Itachi's genjutsu crushed his mind and nearly killed him. He doubted that he would be able to get up and continue fighting. At the same time, Itachi suffered from his very own illness. It tugged him down closer and closer to death. Both of the Uchiha brothers were suffering.

Itachi, however, stopped coughing and spoke to Sasuke once more. "Sasuke.. little brother.. listen to me."

"Stay.. away... from...." Sasuke moaned. His vision was blurred, and he felt like his brain was tearing apart. "You bloody scoundrel.. I'll kill you if.. if you come close again."

"Sasuke.. bear the pain.." Itachi cried. He saw his brother laying on his back. There was little or no chance left for Sasuke. "I know it hurts, but bear the pain."

Sasuke felt some life left in him, but that life was so distant that it would never come to him. Itachi got up and took a few steps towards Sasuke. "Don't die yet.. this fight isn't close to being finished, Sasuke. Fight the pain and stand up you _weakling_!"

Sasuke's hatred filled his body. His eye flashed multiple colors, and he felt power filling him at last. A dark chakra spread around his body and lifted him off the ground. Itachi stared into his dark, cold, menacing eyes. "The Mangekyo has almost formed. At last, this will be quite a fight."

Sasuke's chakra was a purple haze that drifted in the air around him. "What is this power?.. it feels so good," he asked himself. "This hatred has truly developed, Itachi. I feel my true purpose guiding me. My chakra has made its own form to match my purpose. Finally, I have the true strength to destroy you."

Itachi smirked and whispered, "Sasuke, it's time to test whether or not you have enough hatred to defeat me. SUSANOO!!" Sasuke faced the last of the Mangekyo's powers. "You've endured Amaterasu and Tsukiyomi. Now it's time I finished you, Sasuke. You have no chance anymore."


End file.
